President Bush selects former Rock student for award

SPOTLIGHT

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Kathy Dillaman, a former Slippery Rock University student and award-winning criminal background investigator, has been selected by President George Bush to receive the prestigious 2008 Presidential Rank Award. Dillaman manages a $500-million investigations program for the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C.

The award represents the top achievement for senior executive service members in the federal government.

OPM's Federal Investigative Services Division is the government's largest provider of background investigations and services, supporting more than 90 federal agencies' personnel security programs. Dillaman joined the office in 1999 and was promoted to her current position in 2005.

As associate director of federal investigative services, Dillaman oversees criminal background check operations in OPM's Washington, D.C., Boyers, Pa., and Ft. Meade, Md., offices. Her duties include daily operations, policy development and contractor oversight of the investigations program with an annual revolving fund of $500 million.

Previously, Dillaman was one of the senior managers responsible for the automation of the offices' investigations processing system.

She participates on several national panels and committees, including the Compact Council and the Federal Working Group of the Criminal Justice Information Services' Advisory Policy Board. This working group represents the federal criminal and non-criminal justice community on issues of worldwide importance.

In 2004, Dillaman received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive.

Dillaman, who was an SRU student in the early 1990s, graduated from the Federal Executive Institute.